Guatemala Update

Our family continues to prepare for our trip to Guatemala this summer.  It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update, but it’s still at the forefront of our minds.

From a fundraising standpoint, Hannah is hosting a Jewelry Open House this Saturday afternoon at our house where she hopes to raise $800 or more towards our trip.  We’re also working on a Rally Night at the Royersford Chick-Fil-A for Monday, May 20, 2013, which will help towards the trip (mark your calendar if you’re in the area).  So far, we’ve raised a total of $1,675 towards our trip.  We’re estimating that we need to raise $5,200-$5,500 for our trip, so we’re making progress (so we’re over 30% there!).  Over the course of the next week or two, I’ll be adding a donation widget to the side bar of my main page to help with the donation process.  Until then, click here to find more information about how you can help us reach this goal.

Why do we want to reach such a goal?  Our family has been captured by a small village in Guatemala.  The people in Santa Domingo Xenacoj need people like you and me to show them God’s love.  Our trip will give us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of God in a town that could easily be forgotten.  And I suspect the trip will give us a huge opportunity to experience change in our own lives as well.  The video below provides a little bit of the glimpse of the people we’ll be serving.  I watched the video this morning for the first time, and my heart was right back in Xenacoj where I spent nine days this past summer.

Yesterday, I shared about the importance of knowing where we get our Hope (You’re My Only Hope).  We’re excited to share that Hope with others in Xenacoj, in our jobs, in our neighborhood, and even here in The Stretched Community.

How can you share that Hope today?  Seriously, what is one way that you can share God’s hope and love in a practical way TODAY?

You’re My Only Hope

In the original Star Wars movie which is now considered Episode 4, Princess Leia sends a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi (via R2-D2) saying, “Help me Obi-Wan.  You’re my only hope.”

Hope is an interesting concept that is so often understated and misrepresented in today’s world.

I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.  I hope the Phillies win the World Series.  I hope you have a good day.  It’s good to have hopes and dreams.

Over four years ago, Barack Obama ran for president on a platform of hope and change, and many looked to him as the hope for something different and better in their lives.  He may have brought a hope to many people, be he and all other leaders will ultimately fall short when it comes to bringing about a true and lasting hope.

In Psalm 62, we hear of the one true Hope worth following and pursuing:

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down—
    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
Surely they intend to topple me
    from my lofty place;
    they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse.^[b]

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God^[c];
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.

Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath.
Do not trust in extortion
    or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
    do not set your heart on them.

I’m Losing My Patience – 6 Ways To Rediscover Patience

As a kid, I can remember a few times when my Dad’s fuse was shorter than normal.  Especially when he was tired and under a lot of stress, his patience would grow thin, and he would become frustrated and somewhat angry as my brothers and I would push the limits on what he could tolerate.

Overall, my Dad is a great father, and I’d honestly be honored and blessed if I could pick up half of his qualities.  He’s a leader.  He’s wise.  He’s extremely intelligent.  He’s caring.  I could go on.  But if I’m honest, I hoped I would miss out on his occasional short patience “quality.”

Well, I’m afraid that didn’t completely work out.  The other night, Leanne said to me, “I think you’re getting more impatient as you get older.”  Whoa!  First, she’s calling me impatient.  And then, she’s calling me older!  Maybe she’s right.  By the end of the night, my tolerance for horsing around diminishes, and I can often tell that I’m losing my patience.  It’s not a feeling I completely enjoy.  I don’t want to be grumpy or to be known as the “wet blanket” in the house, so I need to find a way to restore my patience levels.

Here are several ideas that come to mind for bringing patience back into my life.  Maybe, they’ll help you too!

1. Recognize that patience come from God.  According to Paul in Galatians, patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience (or forbearance), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23
2. Pray for patience.  Many would consider this to be a dangerous prayer.  I’m not so sure.  If true patience comes from God, doesn’t it make sense that we should ask for it?  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Matthew 7:7-8
3. Learn the things that cause us to lose our patience.  Maybe it’s lack of sleep.  Maybe it’s financial stress.  Maybe it’s pressure at work.  It’s important to learn these causes, so we can come up with a plan to combat the problems.
4. Take counter measures.  If it’s lack of sleep – get more sleep.  If it’s stress – find ways to eliminate or alleviate the stress.  Running is a huge counter measure for me in the battle against stress.  When I get regular exercise, my patience tends to improve.
5. Get someone to watch your back.  Use a friend to keep your patience levels in check.  I’m thankful that my wife would call me on the carpet about my patience.  I need people in my life who build me up and who help me deal with some of my “demons”.
6. Ask for forgiveness.  On the rare occasion when my Dad would lose his patience, he would come back and apologize.  He would ask for forgiveness if he had somehow wronged on of us.  We’re not perfect.  Not one of us gets it right all the time.  We all make mistakes.  We will lose our patience.  Admitting failure can be a positive step in the healing process and in STRETCHING us towards the personal growth we need to pursue.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  Colossians 3:13

Do you struggle with patience?  What helps you when you lose your patience?  What thoughts can you add to the list above?

March 2013 Top Posts and Commenters

Another month has come and gone.  Traffic was a little higher than last month’s traffic.  About halfway through the month, I stopped posting on Saturday and Sunday.  The decision to stop posting over the weekend is not necessarily permanent.  But I’ve appreciated the opportunity to focus more on my family during the weekend and to focus on content quality during the week.  So far, I’ve been happy with the experiment.

This month’s top post was a guest post by Eileen Knowles (thanks Eileen), and there were two posts from last year.  The first two posts and the eighth post on list drew the most commenter engagement this month.

1. Stretching Beyond My Comfort Zone (by Eileen Knowles)  March 14, 2013 (104)
2. Ice Breaker – Share Your Blog Link  March 15, 2013 (96)
3. Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember  February 27, 2012 (80)
4. 1000 Miles – 1000 Blog Posts – Celebrating A Milestone  March 11, 2013 (68)
5. Ice Breaker – First Job  March 8, 2013 (67)
6. Meet Cody – Starting All Over Again  March 26, 2013 (66)
7. Ice Breaker – Easter Candy  March 30, 2012 (62)
8. Ice Breaker – Favorite Teacher  March 22, 2013 (60)
9. RePurposed  March 25, 2013 (58)
10. How To Use Milestones To Kick-Start A New Thing  March 12, 2013 (46)

Top Commenters:

• David Paul Stolpe (45)
• Larry Carter (21)
• Eileen Knowles (18)
• David (14)
• Bill (cycleguy) (9)
• Dan Black (9)
• TNeal (9)
• Joshua Rivers (7)
• Matt McWilliams (7)
• Joe Lalonde (6)

At the beginning of the month, I announced that I would be giving away a copy of Wrecked by Jeff Goins to one of the top 10 commenters.  The more frequent commenters had a better chance of winning, and the winner chosen randomly is…#4 Commenter – David (not David Paul Stolpe).  David, you’ll need to send me your contact information, so I can send you the book.  This month, I’ll be giving away a copy of Second Guessing God by Brian Jones to one of the top ten commenters.  Again, the more you comment – the better your chances to win.

Thanks to each and everyone for reading and for commenting.  I’m looking forward to April with The Stretched Community!

How was your month?  If you’re a blogger share a link to your top post in the comments?  What was your favorite Stretched post this month?  How were you STRETCHED in March?

It’s Friday But Sunday’s Coming

It’s Good Friday.  I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to skip the Stretched Ice Breaker this week.

Today is a day when many of us remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for you and for me.  I always looked forward to celebrating Easter – with the Sunrise Service, the Easter Egg Hunt, Sunday Easter services, and Easter lunch.  It was always a fun day to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.  Growing up, I typically went to church on Good Friday.  For me, this was the service that really set the tone for me to celebrate Easter on Sunday.  Remembering the sacrifice that Christ made for me is such an important reminder, and it’s such an important message to share with others.

As I was thinking about Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I couldn’t help but think of a message I’ve heard from Tony Campolo.  Here’s a clip of the message:

When you think of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, what comes to mind?  Share one of your Easter memories.in the comments.

Book Review: The Connecting Church 2.0 by Randy Frazee

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Randy Frazee speak at a Willow Creek Grouplife Conference, and I was challenged and inspired by his teaching and his book, Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships, which challenges readers to restructure their days to make more room for relationships and for life in general.

In The Connecting Church 2.0: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community, Randy Frazee does it again!

Frazee challenges readers to rethink church, small groups, neighborhoods, and community in general.  The Connecting Church 2.0 starts with the premise that we were created for community.  In the book, Frazee starts with God as he shows that God models community through the trinity.  He then shows how the early church provided a great example of community as God intended it.

Obviously, things have changed quite a bit since the early church.  And over the past few decades, neighborhoods and community as they once were has deteriorated as people have moved out towards the suburbs with larger yards, longer commutes, and less time to hang out with others.  We’ve become a society of individuals instead of community.

In The Connecting Church 2.0, Frazee challenges the recent trend with new thinking about an old model.  He offers ideas for how the church can help restore authentic community in the busy, “me-first” society in which we all live.

I would definitely recommend The Connecting Church 2.0 as a place to start in challenging your thinking about church, community, and life in general.  If you’d like a chance to win this book, click here.  Or you can purchase the book, my clicking the link below.

How would you’re life be different if you decided to live your life within five miles of your home?  What is one thing you can do TODAY to foster community in your life?  What is your church doing to encourage authentic community?

[I received this book free of charge from Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for a review.  I was not required to provide a positive review.]

Courage – The Stretched Blog Visits From Carol’s Quill

Today, I’m guest posting as part of The Network for Carol Peterson at her blog, From Carol’s Quill.  In my post (Courage Through God’s Word), I share some thoughts about courage.  Here’s an excerpt to get you started.

When you think of courage, who or what comes to mind?

 

Maybe it’s the lion from The Wizard of Oz who fought through fear and insecurity until he discovered courage in the quest to conquer the Wicked Witch of the West.

 

Maybe it’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, the Roman general portrayed by Russel Crowe in Gladiator, who stood up to the Roman authorities and the competitors in the gladiator arena.

 

Maybe it’s Amelia Earhart who challenged the limitations and obstacles of flight and inequality to courageously go where no woman had dared to go.

 

When we think of courage it’s easy to think of the strong, the bold, and the heroic.  We often assign courage to those in the limelight – sports stars, politicians, movie stars, rock stars, and other celebrities.  It’s true that many of famous people have demonstrated courage in overcoming tremendous odds.  I don’t mean to diminish their accomplishments, but I think we can find deeper meaning for courage if we look to those around us and to those outside the spotlight.  (Click here to read the rest of this post.)

If you’re visiting from Carol’s blog, I’m glad you stopped by.  I hope you’ll check things out and become a regular part of The Stretched Community.  You can sign up to receive daily blog updates by adding your e-mail on the main page (I promise not to send you spam).  To help you get a taste of my other writing, here are a few of my favorite posts:

• Leap of Faith
• Less Like Scars
• Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know
• The Power of the Next Question
• How To Respond To The Election Results

Meet Cody – Starting All Over Again

Yesterday afternoon, we gained a new member of our family.  Meet Cody.  He is a 7 week old lab/retriever cross-breed, and he is being raised to be a Seeing Eye guide dog.

Isaac will be raising and training Cody for about a year until he goes back to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ for more formal training.  And we’ve already begun the process of praying that he passes and praying for his eventual companion person.

Obviously, we don’t know how it will turn out (as I shared in yesterday’s post – RePurposed).  Based on our last two experiences in the puppy raising program, we understand that it could be a challenge.  But we’ve come to realize that it’s worth it.  It’s worth starting all over again on the road to raising Cody and helping a blind person in need of his canine eyes.  It’s worth the interrupted schedules, the hours of training, and the sadness of separation at the end of the puppy raising period.  It’s worth it, because it has the ability to change someone’s life.

When have you faced a challenge that was worth repeating?  When have you faced a challenge that had the power to change someone’s life?

RePurposed

Have you ever thought you were on the right track towards living out your purpose when suddenly you were turned towards a different direction?

Maybe you started college studying one thing when things switched up and changed your career trajectory.  Perhaps you felt led to pursue full-time ministry when God clearly directed you to take up ministry in the work force.

Over the weekend our family was reminded that re-purposing happens.  On Friday, we received an e-mail telling us that our most recent Seeing Eye puppy, Irwin, had been dropped out of the training program due to a health issue (faulty eye ducts).  Obviously, Irwin needs to have healthy eyes in order to be a Seeing Eye dog.

When we received the message, we had a choice to make – to take Irwin back or to let him go through the adoption program that The Seeing Eye sponsors.  With a new puppy arriving at our house later this afternoon (a “C” puppy – meaning his name will start with a “C”), we made the decision to allow Irwin to go to another family.  Irwin will be re-purposed.  Instead of being a Seeing Eye guide dog, Irwin will be a “forever dog” for a well deserving family.

When our purpose changes, it can be sad, scary, and confusing.  It’s sad to leave behind the path we had been on, and it’s scary to leave what we knew in exchange for the unknown.  It’s also confusing – why wasn’t this purpose more obvious from the beginning?

But a change in purpose can also be eye-opening and exciting.  When we’re truly on the right path towards following our purpose, it’s like a light switch just went on.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

I’m in the process of reading The Connecting Church 2.0: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community by Randy Frazee.  In the book, Frazee talks about the importance of finding authentic community.  He shares about discovering our purpose (or story) by first knowing God’s purpose and story.  Once we understand God’s story, we can move to “our story” – the purpose of the church and community.  Only when we have an understanding of these stories can we begin to understand and follow our purpose and story.

Like the first believers in Jerusalem, I must belong, grow, and serve.  I must fully participate as a member of a Christian community right where I live.  I must engage in a journey of learning to think, act, and be like Jesus.  I must actively use my life, my gifts, and my resources to serve others.  (p. 73).

Your journey maybe unique, but it involves community.  As you seek out your own purpose, I would challenge you to:

1. Follow God.  Read His Word.  Explore and understand God and His characteristics.
2. Plug into a church community.  Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, you were created for community.  Your community will help you discover a purpose that goes beyond yourself.
3. Explore your areas of passion.  God has given you unique gifts, talents, and interests that will point you towards your purpose.  Don’t be afraid to try something new and different.
4. Trust in God.  In Proverbs 3:5-6, we are reminded that God will make our paths straight when we put our trust in Him.
5. Fight discouragement.  God has a plan for you!

“For I know the plans I have for you,”declares the Lord,“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

What’s your purpose?  How are you seeking out your purpose?  Have you ever felt like your purpose had changed?

Ice Breaker – Favorite Teacher

Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question.  The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community.  I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments.  While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

We’ve been thinking a lot about teachers and teaching in our house the past few weeks.  Teachers play a special role in helping us stretch and develop.  With this in mind, teachers are the inspiration for this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker.

Question:  Tell us about one of your favorite teachers.

My Answer:  I’m sure I could come up with several answer to this question.  One of my favorite teachers of all time was Mrs. Williams, my 4th grade teacher.  4th grade was a pretty fun year thanks to Mrs. Williams.  She encouraged creativity and initiative in her classroom.  I will always remember directing and acting in a play about a scarecrow in her class.  Mrs. Williams let us decorate her classroom to look like a cornfield, and we invited other classes in to watch our play.

Mrs. Williams’ classroom was the upstairs classroom to the right of the door.  F. L. Walther School was originally built in 1917 as a four-room schoolhouse and was added on to over the years.  My 4th grade classroom is no longer standing, but F. L. Walther still exists as an elementary school in the Lumberton School District (New Jersey).  I spent three years of elementary school in this section of the building (3rd through 5th grade).

There you have it – my answer.  Now, it’s your turn.  Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment.  I look forward to reading your response!  (Feel free to share links.)